If you've been looking for an alternative to traditional cable and satellite services, Microsoft may have just the thing. The new Xbox 360 based service will offer something different for those unsatisfied with other solutions like Google TV and Hulu Plus.

Microsoft's plan is to offer a basic virtual cable service through the
Xbox 360 that allows subscribers to access ABC, NBC, CBS and the rest of
the usual suspects. Customers would then be able to add premium
channels like HBO, Showtime and others at their leisure. Microsoft also
plans to offer bundles for those adding multiple channels.

The mystery as of now is whether Microsoft will be offering live TV or
simply on-demand access. It seems likely that the company will feature a
combination of both, and may even allow customers to use their consoles
as DVRs for recording content.

Microsoft has just started talks with TV networks, so we may not see
this happen for a while, but we can certainly expect to hear something
definitive in the next 12 months.